The Incredibly True Adventure of 2 Witches in Love
by JewWitch
Summary: AUSlash. Part III of my Phoebe & Paige series. SOMEONE doesn't want Phoebe to marry Paige...and he'll do anything to make sure it doesn't happen. COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

**The Incredibly True Adventures of Two Witches in Love**

Part III of the Phoebe & Paige saga by **JewWitch**

**Rating**: **M**

**Summary**: As stated, this is the third story in my series, so you might want to read the first two (_Charmed & Dangerous_ and _Godsmacked_) or you will be a bit lost. In this AU world, Prue never died, and Paige is not a long-lost sister at all, which is a good thing since she and Phoebe are in luuuuv. This story picks up about six months after _Godsmacked_ left off; our girls are getting ready to graduate from college, and trying to plan their handfasting (that's a wiccan wedding) at the same time. Meanwhile, Piper is pregnant with her first child, and Prue is trying to make her long-distance relationship with the dark slayer work while advancing her career as a photojournalist. Add the everyday hijinks of demons, warlocks, and frat boys, and you get a pretty hectic life…WHO do you think might come along to make things even more difficult for our heroines? Read and find out…

**Chapter One**

It was an unusually balmy spring day, and the sun shone benevolently down upon the many students taking advantage of the fair weather by studying outdoors on the grassy quad behind Porter Hall. A tall, muscular boy with sandy blond hair jogged up to a small group of Frisbee throwers, a light bounce in his step as he allowed all thoughts of schoolwork to dribble out of his head—after all, it _was_ Sunday. He waved his arms at the red-haired boy holding the Frisbee, who beckoned him toward the group gathering around the fountain. As he jogged toward them, his eyes fell upon a girl sitting quietly under a large oak tree, a heavy textbook resting in her lap. She had long, chestnut-brown hair, which was pulled back into two rather messy pigtails on either side of her head, and her olive skin shone flawlessly in the afternoon sun. She wore a very short pair of old cutoffs, and a black tank top that showed more than enough cleavage to raise his heart rate. Even the chunky reading glasses she wore were sexy, framing a pair of intensely dark eyes and long, doe-like lashes. He slowed to a walk as he gawked at her, feeling the thrill of the hunt rise up inside him. He hadn't seen a girl so utterly perfect in a long time—if ever. His face split in a wide, self-assured grin.

"Dude, you're wasting your time," his red-haired friend said casually, throwing the Frisbee at him at close range to get his attention back.

"Why, she got a boyfriend?" The blond boy asked, his eyes still fixed on the captivating dark-haired beauty.

"No…" His friend snickered and shook his head. "But—"

"Say no more, compadre, just watch and learn." Tossing the Frisbee back, he ran across the grass toward the tree where the girl was sitting, motioning his friend to throw the disc. With a shrug, the boy did so, sending the blond boy racing toward the quietly studying figure at top speed.

"Got it!" The boy hollered, diving flat-out to catch the Frisbee, and landing quite conveniently at the startled girl's feet. "Sorry about that," he grinned, panting slightly as he brushed the grass off his shirt. "Training for Ultimate playoffs."

"That's okay," the girl replied mildly, her piercing eyes returning almost immediately to her textbook. Undeterred, the blond boy got to his feet, determined to recapture the attention of his quarry.

"I musta' got the sense knocked out of me—where are my manners? Colin Adams, at your service." He gave her his most winning smile, showing off a set of even, white teeth and a strong jawbone.

"Hi Colin," the girl said distractedly, not even looking up from her reading.

"And you are?" he persisted.

"Engaged," she said blithely, looking up at last with a sugary-sweet smile as she held out her hand, displaying a glinting diamond ring. His mouth opened and closed a few times soundlessly. "Waiting for my fiancée, who should be here in about…" she looked over his shoulder, and a huge smile blossomed on her face, showing off an even more perfect set of teeth behind her heart-shaped lips. "Oh! Waiting's over," she said happily, rising from the grass as another drop-dead-gorgeous girl jogged up to them, a matching smile on her ruby-red lips. She was a few inches taller than the other girl, her black hair tumbling in soft waves over pale ivory shoulders.

"Hi baby," she purred, and before the tongue-tied boy could process what he was seeing, she wrapped her arms around the shorter girl's neck, and kissed her deeply. Her kiss was returned with equal enthusiasm, as the girl whose name he'd been unable to learn wrapped her arms around the taller girl's waist, a soft sigh of pleasure falling from her lips as she raked her nails over the other girl's back. Colin forgot himself completely as he stood there watching them, feeling the drool pooling inside his mouth. Finally, the taller girl pulled back from the kiss, and looked up at him with a politely irked expression on her face, as if he'd taken the last beer at a keg party.

"I'm sorry, do you mind?" she asked, cocking one eyebrow.

"Uh…uhg…I'm, um…" he shook his head and took a step backward, stumbling over the tree roots and almost falling.

"You two are pure evil," the redheaded boy laughed as he approached, rescuing his friend from any further embarrassment with a steadying hand on his shoulder.

"Actually, Teddy, I'm an angel," Paige said innocently. "And Pheebs here is one of the most powerful good witches on Earth." She threaded her arm around her girlfriend's shoulders, and played with one of her pigtails. Phoebe laughed uneasily.

"She's a powerful something, alright," Colin agreed, feeling a crimson blush rising in his cheeks as he realized what an ass he'd made of himself. "Sorry if I—"

"It's okay, really," Phoebe assured him, her uneasy expression vanishing with a warm smile. "I'm flattered." She leaned into her girlfriend's arm, looking very contented—and very spoken for.

"Right," he nodded dumbly, with a final wave as the other boy, Teddy, dragged him off.

_"Paige,"_ Phoebe hissed in a hushed voice as soon as the boys were out of earshot, "What did you tell them that for!"

"What, you mean the big, magic secret?" Paige laughed. "C'mon, babe, they thought it was a joke. Lighten up!"

"I _can't_ lighten up about exposing magic, Paigey," Phoebe sighed with a shake of her head as they both turned toward the dorm, Paige's hand still teasing Phoebe's hair. "Remember what almost happened—what _would_ have happened if time hadn't been reset? Do the words 'lynch mob' mean nothing to you?"

"Honey, please try to relax," Paige soothed, her hand moving from her girlfriend's hair to gently knead the back of her neck. "I know you had a close call, and I know how scary it was. But we fixed it, and it's not going to happen again, okay?" Phoebe sighed, closing her eyes as Paige's talented fingers worked the tension out of her neck. _"Okay?"_ Paige persisted.

"Okay," Phoebe murmured, opening her eyes to look up at Paige with an adoring smile. Leaning up on her tiptoes, Phoebe captured the rosy lips above her own in a warm kiss. Paige sighed happily, and nipped Phoebe's lower lip, making her giggle.

"Ready to orb the last of your stuff out of the dorm?" Phoebe asked when they finally broke apart.

"Totally," Paige agreed. Hand in hand, they walked into Paige's dorm room for the last time.

"…Well, that's it," Phoebe pronounced an hour later, hands on her hips as she looked around her room—now their room—at the manor. "We're officially living together." She cocked her head and considered her girlfriend, covered in sweat and not a little dust and grime as a result of the afternoon's exertions. "How long till we stop having sex, exactly?"

"How long do you plan on living?" Paige asked, an impish grin on her face as she drew Phoebe into her arms and kissed her. Their sweat-slicked bodies slipped easily into familiar places, eliciting familiar soft sounds of pleasure. "I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you," Paige whispered into Phoebe's ear before she nibbled on it.

"Oh, baby…" Phoebe tightened her grip on her slippery girlfriend, her tongue snaking out to claim every part of Paige's warm mouth. Paige gave a deep, guttural groan of pleasure, and reached for Phoebe's tank top, peeling the damp material away from her flushed skin. Phoebe stumbled backwards until the back of her legs came up against the side of the bed, allowing Paige to pull her top and sport bra off in one fell swoop before they both fell back onto the soft mattress, giggling like a couple of junior high schoolers. Phoebe reached up and held Paige's head with both hands, scraping her teeth against the soft skin below her ear. Paige gasped and arched into Phoebe, hooking her hand behind her girlfriend's raised knee and pulling it up over her hip.

"Mmm, like that baby?" Phoebe grinned against Paige's flushed skin.

_"Yesss,"_ Paige groaned, leaning down to ravage Phoebe's exposed throat. Now it was Phoebe's turn to gasp and moan helplessly, as her girlfriend feasted on her soft, smooth skin. Somehow, Phoebe managed to work her hands under Paige's shirt as she writhed, forcing her ravenous girlfriend to break contact with her well-loved throat long enough to pull it over her head, tossing the superfluous garment aside with a knowing grin. Then Phoebe lay back against the pillows, naked but for her shorts with her arms flung back behind her head in a pose of complete openness and vulnerability, while Paige straddled her.

"You are a fucking goddess," Paige whispered, her whole body trembling with love and desire.

"Not anymore," Phoebe grinned impishly up at her, twirling a lock of hair around her finger with an innocent look of lust that drove Paige utterly mad with desire.

"I'm gonna make you come so hard," Paige growled, her lips finding Phoebe's at the same time that her hands found the zipper of her shorts. Phoebe squealed like a piglet as Paige's teeth closed over her lower lip. Then a loud knock on the door made them both freeze.

"Phoebe! You were supposed to give me back my car keys when you got home!" Piper hollered through the door. "I'm late for my sound check with The Postal Service!"

"Just a sec!" Phoebe yelled, a very flustered look on her face as she scrambled for her clothes.

"Speaking of going postal," Paige grumbled mutinously, pulling her own shirt over her head with some difficulty, as it was so sweaty. Phoebe gave her an apologetic look, as she crawled across the bed and opened the door.

"Here you go," she said quickly, pushing the keys into Piper's hand. "Bye." Piper peered at Phoebe's flushed face, and her inside-out tank top, and grinned knowingly.

"I hope you two realize that this house can only handle one pregnant woman at a time," she teased, an evil smirk on her face as she laid a hand over her swollen belly.

"_Goodbye_, Piper!" Phoebe growled, pushing her out the door and closing it in her face. They could hear her snickering as she walked away.

"Grrr," Paige groaned exasperatedly, running her hand through her damp, tangled hair.

"Sorry, honey," Phoebe smiled apologetically at Paige as she crossed the room, crawling back onto the bed with a feral glint in her eyes. "Now, where were we…?"

"I can't, Pheebs," Paige said regretfully, pushing Phoebe back onto her heels. "I feel all gross and dirty." She plucked at the damp material of her thin shirt plastered against her skin.

"Well how about I clean you up, dirty girl?" Phoebe said coyly, looking up at Paige from beneath her lashes.

"You have a one-track mind, Phoebe Halliwell," Paige purred, taking Phoebe's outstretched hand and allowing herself to be pulled down the hall toward the bathroom.

The minute Paige stepped under the hot blast of the showerhead, the felt better, all the pent-up frustration of being caught in the act melting away as the water streamed down her body. She gave a sigh of pleasure as Phoebe's soapy hands ran over her body, scrubbing her thoroughly. Paige had expected Phoebe to ravage her the second the bathroom door was locked, but she was taking her time, lathering every part of Paige's warm, wet body with sweet, lavender-scented suds. Reaching out, Phoebe took Paige's hand and rested it on her own shoulder, wrapping both soapy hands around Paige's arm and giving her a rough, sudsy massage, eliciting a deep sigh. She repeated the process with the other arm, then moved upwards to her girlfriend's shoulders.

"Feel better, baby girl?" Phoebe asked sweetly.

"Mmm," Paige groaned, eyes falling shut as she allowed herself to be treated to a soapy, full-body massage. "You really are a goddess, Pheebs," she sighed.

"Ahh, I bet you say that to all the girls," Phoebe teased. Paige opened her eyes, a few drops of water clinging to her lashes as she gazed at her girlfriend with a look of passion so intense, it turned Phoebe's knees to rubber. Wordlessly, their bodies entwined, hands everywhere as their lips met in a hot, wet, open-mouthed kiss. Paige pushed Phoebe up against the shower wall, pinning her there with her thigh. Phoebe shrieked in ecstasy, her head falling back to expose her throat, which Paige fell upon like a ravenous wild animal. The hot water pounded over them, slipping against each other's skin with reckless abandon. Neither of them heard the matching pounding on the bathroom door, nor did they notice when the lock slid open by magic. They _did_ notice when Prue tiptoed in, holding one hand up next to her face to shield her eyes from the activities in the shower.

_"Prue!"_ Phoebe shrieked, causing Paige to wince and clap her hands over her ears. "Get out!"

"I just need to get my makeup bag and then I'm gone," Prue said shortly, staring determinedly at the floor with an intensely overwrought expression. "Believe me, this is not my idea of a good time-- but I'm gonna be late for my photo shoot if I don't get going. Not _all_ of us can afford to spend the entire afternoon screwing in the shower, you know Pheebs."

"I am going to murder you in your sleep, Prue!" Phoebe yelled, throwing a bottle of shampoo at her sister over the top of the shower door. _"GET OUT!"_

"Okay, okay!" Prue squeaked, grabbing her makeup bag and holding it over her head as a shield from Phoebe's attack. "Go back to screaming your heads off and running up the water bill!" Paige groaned and dropped her head onto Phoebe's shoulder as the door slammed shut behind Prue.

"I think I'm _actually _about to explode," Paige whimpered.

"Welcome to life at the manor," Phoebe said humorlessly.


	2. How to Get a Halliwell Alone

Dear peeps,

I just want to let everyone know, that from here on out I will try very hard to post weekly updates, on either Sunday or Monday nights, with the exception of next week, cause my mom and I are going to Cape Cod to visit my cousins. So, then, on with the show!

**The Incredibly True Adventure of 2 Witches in Love**

**By JewWitch**

**Chapter 2**

"See, now aren't you glad we took a study break?" Phoebe grinned, laughing as Paige dipped her backwards on the crowded dance floor at P3.

"Well, it _is_ Friday night," Paige agreed, "and I think I _was_ starting to go a little cross-eyed…finals just make me all tweaky. You were right as usual, babe."

"Oooh, Paige, you are _so_ gonna regret saying that," Piper teased, dancing alongside them in Leo's arms. "You just forfeited your right to win an argument for at least, oh, the next fifty years!"

"Whatever," Paige sighed, tightening her grip on Phoebe's waist as teasing fingertips grazed the nape of her neck. "As long as we're both still here in fifty years, I'll be happy." Phoebe smirked up into Paige's love struck eyes, and leaned in to kiss her.

"Ahh, young love," Piper sighed melodramatically, looking up at the ceiling with the back of her hand resting against her forehead. "Excuse me, I have to go cue up the power ballad!"

"C'mon, Paigey, let's go get a little privacy," Phoebe said with a roll of her eyes, leading her girlfriend by the hand into one of the private booths along the far edge of the dance floor. Just before they reached the curtain, Paige skipped forward and wrapped both arms around Phoebe's stomach, her momentum carrying them both through the red velvet curtain and onto the inviting couch beyond, where they flopped down giggling, transitioning flawlessly into a long, deep kiss.

"Finally got you alone," Paige murmured against Phoebe's lips, her fingers gliding lightly up under her girlfriend's wispy skirt.

"Mmm…" Phoebe sighed, before gently grasping Paige's wandering hands and pushing them back down. "Paige, you know I love you, but I am not gonna do it in Piper's club."

"Why not?" Paige pouted.

"Welll," Phoebe drawled, a shy smile quirking her lips, "Aside from the fact that we'd have half the club in here the second one of us starts screaming…I kinda had something else in mind when I brought you back here." Reaching around Paige, Phoebe wormed her hand behind the furthest couch cushion, coming back with a black velvet box. "It's something I've been meaning to give you for a long time." Paige stared open-mouthed at the little black box, eyes wide as saucers. "Don't you wanna open it, baby?" Phoebe asked softly. Slowly, Paige reached out with shaky fingers and took the box from Phoebe's outstretched hand, and opened it to reveal a glinting silver ring. Inside the band were etched the words, _Phoebe loves Paige_, followed by a tiny sideways figure eight—the symbol of eternity.

"It's white gold," Phoebe said softly, when Paige remained speechless. "I thought it would look better with your complexion."

"Oh, baby, it's—it's—it's too much. How can you afford this?"

"Oh, I'll be paying for it for a while yet," Phoebe grinned, gently taking the ring from Paige's trembling hand and slipping it onto her finger. "I just love wearing your ring so much; I love that every time someone sees it, they know I belong to you…I wanted to give you that, too. You're worth every penny, baby, and a million times more." Paige didn't even realize she was crying until Phoebe reached out and wiped the tears from her cheeks. "Do you like it, my angel?"

"Oh, Phoebe, I love it—and I love you!" Paige laughed, throwing her arms around her girlfriend's neck and kissing her passionately. Phoebe reached out and grasped Paige's hand, entwining their fingers so both of their rings sparkled side-by-side. They both turned their faces to look down at their interlocked hands.

"That is such a beautiful sight," Phoebe sighed, resting her cheek on Paige's shoulder.

"Yeah," Paige agreed dazedly. "I feel a little guilty, though."

"What? Why?" Phoebe looked up quizzically.

"Cause I didn't have to pay for your ring," Paige explained softly, relaxing her grip on Phoebe's hand to graze her nails over her palm. "It was my grandmother's."

"Oh, sweetie…you gave me your grandmother's ring?" Phoebe's eyes softened until she looked about ready to melt.

"Well, yeah," Paige said, shrugging with a _duh_ expression. "Who else would I give it to?" Phoebe laughed, even as a few tears slipped down her cheeks.

"Take me home this instant," Phoebe commanded, wrapping both arms around Paige's neck with a soft growl. "I wanna make you scream now."

"Your wish is my command, my lady," Paige purred happily, springing to her feet with a mock-formal bow. Phoebe reached for Paige's hand, locking their eyes together with an intense expression that left little question as to what she was thinking about. They were halfway across the dance floor in about three seconds, before Phoebe stopped suddenly, jerking Paige to a halt, too, as their hands were still entwined.

"Oh…" Phoebe whimpered softly, pressing her hand to her forehead and swaying slightly.

"Pheebs?" Paige cocked her head. "Honey, are you okay?" Phoebe looked up at Paige with a vacant, confused expression, and Paige was struck with the strangest feeling, as she looked searchingly into Phoebe's wide brown eyes, that she was looking at her girlfriend from very far away.

"I don't feel so…" With no warning at all, Phoebe's eyes rolled back into her head, and she passed out cold.

"Whoa!" Paige squealed, catching her girlfriend's limp body before she could crack her skull on the hardwood dance floor. Being only a few inches taller, and not more than ten pounds heavier, Paige couldn't hold Phoebe up on her own, and they sank to the floor together as the crowd around them backed away, staring and murmuring above the pounding music.

"Piper! Prue!" Paige cried, cradling Phoebe helplessly in her arms. The two elder Halliwells were upon them in seconds, Piper clearing the crowd off the dance floor while Prue fell to her knees anxiously beside her unconscious sister.

"Paige, what happened?" Prue gasped, reaching out and feeling Phoebe's face.

"I, I don't know!" Paige exclaimed, shaking her head. "One second she was fine, and then she just fainted!"

"Well, she doesn't have a fever," Prue said quietly, smoothing Phoebe's hair back gently and laying the back of her hand against her sister's forehead.

"She's not sick, Prue," Paige said in an undertone. "She's just…gone."

"Gone?" Prue looked up sharply. "What do you mean, Paigey?"

"I mean, I can't feel her," Paige whispered urgently, eyes darting up to be sure no one was listening to their conversation. "It's like—like something just stole her essence away."

"Something demonic?" Prue asked grimly. Paige nodded.

"Prue, I'm calling an ambulance," Piper said breathlessly, once the club had been cleared.

"No, Piper," Prue sighed, "That's not what she needs…it's the other thing."

"Oh." Piper groaned. "Book of Shadows?"

"Mm-hmm," Prue murmured, her hand running soothingly through her baby sister's silky brown hair, instinctually trying to comfort her though she knew, from what Paige had said, that Phoebe couldn't feel it. "C'mon, let's get her into the car."

Meanwhile, Phoebe was looking around at what appeared to be endless, empty gray space in every direction. There was no ground under her feet, no walls, no sky. Just, nothing. _Oh, great_, Phoebe thought with a deep frown. _Now what's interrupting me from fucking my girlfriend senseless? _She resolved that whatever it was, it was going to feel the full extent of Phoebe Halliwell's wrath.

"Hello, Phoebe," said a deep voice from out of the mist.

"Cole," Phoebe groaned, "I should have known."

"Sorry for pulling you into the neutral plane like this," Cole said dismissively, as if it were a minor transgression akin to interrupting her schoolwork. "I needed to talk to you, and I didn't think you'd trust me if I just showed up at the manor."

"And you think stealing my soul is going to engender trust, huh Cole?" Phoebe exclaimed incredulously.

"Now, Phoebe, there's no need to be so dramatic. I haven't stolen anything…just think of it as an inter-dimensional page."

"_Paige_," Phoebe murmured, putting a hand to her chest as she suddenly realized, amid her confusion, that her empathic connection to her girlfriend had been severed—and that meant Paige couldn't feel her, either. She knew that if their positions were reversed, and Paige had been the one to inexplicably lose consciousness and go into what looked like a psychic coma, she'd be going out of her mind with worry.

"Cole, you send me back this instant!" Phoebe demanded hotly.

"Of course," Cole said mildly, a ridiculously polite expression on his face considering that he was holding Phoebe against her will in a formless dimension outside of time and space. "Just as soon as we've had a chance to talk."

"I have nothing to say to you, Cole!" Phoebe yelled, her hands balling into fists involuntarily.

"Hey, I risked a lot bringing you here!" Cole snarled back, taking a step closer to Phoebe in the gaping void. "I've been dodging demons and bounty hunters for over six months, making sure no one knew you didn't really vanquish me. Coming out into the open like this is a huge risk, you know!"

"Well gee, Cole, the fact that you're still willing to risk mortal peril to exert your will over me makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside," Phoebe said scathingly. "Exactly what is your point, here?"

"I want you back, Phoebe," Cole said simply, gazing down at her with the most honest expression he was capable of. "I'll do whatever it takes to get you back."

"It's too late," Phoebe said quietly, surprising herself with the gentleness in her voice. She supposed she did feel something for him after all, even if it was only pity. "You just need to move on, okay?"

"No, dammit!" Cole growled, grabbing her shoulders in desperation. She immediately twisted out of his grasp, moving into a fighting stance.

"Don't you fucking touch me," Phoebe snarled. "I mean it Cole, we're through. We were through before we even began."

"Look, Phoebe, I'm sorry I tried to kill you…I really am. It was all I knew before…and then I met you, and I remembered what it was to be human, to love. That's all that matters to me now. You have to believe that." His eyes were wide and desperate.

"I _do_ believe it, Cole," Phoebe said gently, "but it doesn't change anything. If you want to honor the love you found in your heart, use it to start over—to be good. Then maybe you can have a real chance to love someone else."

"I don't _want_ to love someone else!" Cole howled, a large vein bulging in his forehead. "I want you, dammit!"

"Send me home, Cole," Phoebe said quietly. "I have nothing to offer you." Cole sighed and looked down at his feet.

"I'm not giving up, Phoebe," he said quietly. Then he became a blur, fading into the larger blur that was all around them, and just as suddenly as she had arrived, Phoebe found herself blinking up at the familiar ceiling of the sunroom. She tried to sit up quickly, too quickly to realize how weak and dizzy she was.

"Ohhh, brother," she groaned, falling back against the cushions as the room spun around her.

"Phoebe!" Paige cried, and before she knew what was happening, Phoebe was safe and warm in her girlfriend's arms, and surrounded by her sisters. "Are you okay, angel? What happened?" Paige asked gently, rocking her and covering her face with soft butterfly kisses.

"I dunno," Phoebe said slowly, blinking around at Prue and Piper's concerned faces. "I…I can't remember." Phoebe wasn't sure exactly why she was lying to them; she had hated lying to her sisters about vanquishing Cole before, but she had done it anyway, out of fear. Fear of what they would do if they knew the truth. Now—well, now she just wanted to protect them, protect Paige from her demonic ex. She had purposely avoided mentioning the fact that she was engaged to Cole, because she knew there was no way he'd leave Paige alone if he knew about her. She had made it perfectly clear to Cole that there would be nothing more between them—why drag Paige down into that ugliness now?

"Boy, are you a rotten liar," Paige said with a smirk.

"Huh?" Phoebe stared up at her girlfriend in shock. Prue and Piper stared at her, too.

"Sweetie, I know you're just trying to protect me," Paige said soothingly, running her fingers loosely through Phoebe's hair. "But you can't protect me with lies…no matter how good the reason. Whatever happened to you, baby, you can tell me. We're in this together…remember?"

"I'm sorry, Paigey," Phoebe whispered, feeling hot tears pricking the back of her eyes. "I…I didn't mean…"

"Ssh," Paige murmured, silencing her girlfriend with a kiss. "I know." Taking Paige and Piper's hands, Phoebe slowly sat up, giving herself a moment to allow the room to stop spinning.

"It was Cole," she admitted quietly. "He said…he said he wanted me back."


	3. Dealing with Demons

Hi everybody!

I am so sorry for ther long gap between updates...I can't really give an excuse, except to say that I just started a new job last month, and am facing a serious reduction in free time. Still, that's no reason to leave Phoebe and Paige hanging...they aren't exactly the patient types. I don't think they'll let me get away with it again :)

--JW

The Incredibly True Adventure of 2 Witches in Love

Chapter 3

By JewWitch

"I knew it was too much to hope he'd just go away and leave us alone," Prue muttered grimly, pinching the bridge of her nose with a sigh.

"Are you sure you're okay, Pheebs?" Piper asked gently.

"Of course she's not okay!" Paige fumed, running her fingers through her disheveled hair and looking distractedly around at all of them. "Hello, do you not remember the whole inexplicable fainting thing we just witnessed? Who's to say she'll wake up next time?"

"Honey, there won't be a next time," Phoebe soothed, crawling into Paige's lap and curling up against her chest. "I made it perfectly clear to him that there was absolutely, positively no chance that he was gonna get me back. And I know it must have been scary for you guys to see me black out like that, but it was just Cole's stupid way of trying to contact me without anyone being able to eavesdrop. He didn't hurt me—he wouldn't."

"Well pardon me if I don't share your confidence in the emotional stability of your crazed demon ex-boyfriend," Paige growled, and Phoebe could feel her girlfriend's hands trembling as they wrapped around her. She sat up in Paige's arms, and held her face with both hands, locking their eyes together for a long moment.

"Paigey, baby, listen to me. You don't know Cole; he'd never hurt me, okay?"

"Did you tell him you were getting married?" Paige asked quietly.

"I…" Phoebe sighed. Paige looked down again. "I just…I don't know what he'd do to you if he knew about you—if he knew that you're the one I love. I just couldn't stand to put you in harm's way. Can you understand that?" Paige looked up and met Phoebe's eyes; for a moment, they just stared at each other, both searching for solid ground to stand on. Then Paige leaned in and took Phoebe's face in her hands, stroking her girlfriend's cheeks with her thumbs, her touch saying more than words ever could. They shared a sweet kiss, and Phoebe's arms wound around Paige's neck as Paige grabbed her hips and pulled her more firmly into her lap.

"Ahem," Prue coughed, causing the two of them to break apart while Piper snickered. "I'm happy to see you two working through your issues, so don't get me wrong, but I think we've got some more pressing matters at hand here, Pheebs. What makes you think Cole won't come back?"

"I told him it was over," Phoebe shrugged, her fingers winding absentmindedly around a lock of Paige's hair. "I really think he just needed closure, Prue."

"Okaaay," Piper said slowly from the love seat, "and what if you're wrong?"

"Piper, he's not gonna hurt me," Phoebe said again with a shake of her head. "We've been through this before. He could've killed me about a hundred times already if he'd wanted to…" She gave Paige's leg a reassuring squeeze when she felt her shiver. "Why would he start now?"

"I don't know, maybe because you've spurned his love?" Piper said with a shrug. "He's still a demon, Phoebe. We can't forget that."

"Okay, so we're on demon alert," Phoebe shrugged. "What else is new? C'mon, guys, let's shake this off, alright? I'm telling you, it's not worth all this worrying. If he comes back, then we'll vanquish his sorry ass. But I'd really like to give him this chance to walk away…he can be good, I know he can. He deserves that much." Prue and Piper both looked at Paige, giving her permission to speak for them. Paige looked around at all of them, ending with Phoebe. She shook her head, smiling faintly.

"You always look for the best in everyone, even after all the hurt you've had to live through…you're always ready to believe in other people. It's one of the things that makes you so special, baby…one of the things that makes loving you such an incredible high. How can I tell you to stop?" Phoebe pulled Paige in to her by the back of her neck, and they both closed their eyes, foreheads pressed together.

"Okay then," Prue said loudly, looking at the wall, "Meeting adjourned!" Paige and Phoebe orbed out without acknowledging that they had heard. Piper looked at Prue, who shrugged.

"So we're really not gonna do anything?" Piper asked her big sister somewhat meekly. Prue could tell that Piper was looking to her for reassurance that they'd made the right decision, something she generally didn't do anymore…unless she thought the decision had been the wrong one.

"No, we're not," She said quietly, smiling gently at her sister and tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Are you okay with that, Pipe?" Piper shrugged.

"If you're okay with it…and Paigey's okay with it…and, well, Phoebe is obviously okay with it…then I guess I'm okay with it, too."

"Okay," Prue repeated seriously, and Piper hit her with a pillow, giggling.

"Hey, isn't Pheebs supposed to be orbing you to Sunnydale tonight?"

"Ahh, forget it. You think I'm gonna go knocking on their door now?"

"There's plenty of orbing to go around in this house, Prue…why should we risk pissing off a slayer, huh?" Piper grinned cheekily at her sister, who laughed and stuck out her tongue. "Leo!" A fuzzy field of white lights preceded the arrival of Piper's husband.

"What's wrong?" Leo asked, looking concerned.

"Oh, nothing, honey—Prue just needs a lift to Sunnydale. 'Kay?"

"Huh?" Leo blinked incredulously. "Did I miss something? When did I become a cosmic taxi for the whole family?" Piper and Prue both continued to look at him innocently. Leo sighed. "Got any luggage?"

Upstairs, Phoebe and Paige had peeled each other's clothes off in record time. Sometimes they took things very, very slowly, taking delight in torturing each other and in being tortured. But other times, times like now, they were pulled into each other with the force of gravity. Nothing mattered but getting closer, getting deeper, getting more. Their kisses were urgent, rough, even primal; they were devouring each other.

"Don't ever take your hands off me," Phoebe gasped, arching against her girlfriend's sweat-slicked skin as nails raked down her back, and fingers gripped her hair just behind her ear.

"Never," Paige swore, panting. Her heart thudded wildly, an explosion of warmth flooding through her when Phoebe grazed a single fingertip down her arm. "Fuck, Phoebe…you make me feel like I'm on ecstasy," she whispered. Phoebe leaned in, her breath warming Paige's ear.

"You are," she whispered back. Paige turned her head and claimed Phoebe's lips, a deep growl emanating from her throat. Then she pulled back, smiling at the incredible image before her: her beautiful fiancée, cheeks flushed, hair wild, and breathing hard; her lips shining with their shared spit. She decided that tonight, she was going to make every inch of Phoebe's body shine like that. Neither of them saw the shadowy figure that shimmered into the darkness, half hidden by their closet door.

Phoebe still appeared to be shining the next day, as she crossed the campus amid a group of friends between classes. She said something that had them all laughing and shaking their heads at her, grinning innocently all the while. A few yards away, someone watched from behind the cover of a large redwood tree. With no one so much as glancing his way, it was no problem to wave his hand, and cause Phoebe's backpack to burst open, the zipper splitting from the fabric. Her books flew everywhere.

"Go on, you guys, don't be late," Phoebe shooed her friends ahead, gathering her books from the grass. "Save me a seat." A moment later, Cole once again had what he wanted—Phoebe alone. He straightened his suit as he emerged, and had his usual charming smile in place by the time Phoebe looked up and saw him standing in front of her.

"Cole, get out of here," She sighed, hoisting her books into her arms and determinedly marching toward her next class.

"Hey, you didn't want to talk on my turf, so I came to yours. Isn't this what you wanted?"

"What I _want_ is for you to leave me alone," Phoebe said tersely, whirling to glare at him. "Do you have any idea what my sisters will do to you, Cole?"

"Your sisters," Cole repeated innocently. "Are you sure they're the ones I should be concerned about?" He raised his eyebrow at her, cocksure.

"You bastard," Phoebe whispered. "How dare you spy on me!"

"Well I wouldn't have to if you'd just been honest with me," Cole said with a shrug, her anger rolling off him like water off a duck, showing not the slightest remorse. Phoebe closed her eyes and clenched her jaw to keep from screaming. Cole telling her to be more honest? That was just painfully ironic.

"I am _honestly_ telling you," She seethed quietly, "To go away, Cole-- or I guarantee you will be sorry."

"Is that supposed to be a threat?" Cole asked, looking amused and mildly surprised. Before he'd wiped the smirk off his face, Paige appeared beside Phoebe in a swirl of orbs, and Cole was startled out of his smug expression.

"Get lost, scumbag, before I orb your manhood somewhere very far away," Paige growled, her face set in a confident, predatory expression. Her hand slipped down Phoebe's arm and took her hand, their fingers threading together automatically. Cole's eyes followed their hands for a moment, then came back up, recovering himself quickly.

"Now, now…we haven't even been properly introduced," he said calmly, knowing full well they'd never attack first in full view of any passing students. "Cole Turner, Assistant District Attorney. And you are?"

"I'm the one who will make you beg me to vanquish your sorry ass if you ever come near Phoebe again…understand?" Cole's eyes narrowed and he took a step toward Paige; Phoebe darted between them, putting herself protectively in front of her girlfriend."Cole, go away," she said again, her voice steely and emotionless. "I'm not asking you." With a sigh, Cole glanced around the quad, and vanished. Phoebe turned and threw herself into Paige's arms, groaning loudly. She knew from experience that magical interruptions such as this one could easily disrupt her entire day, and forced herself to gather her wits quickly. She was determined that neither of them should miss any more classes this close to graduation. Phoebe had a one-track mind when it came to school, and it was only out of respect for this that Paige allowed her to brush off what had happened for later. She understood how much it meant to Phoebe to be graduating, after the time she had spent thinking she may never finish college at all. With a brief kiss, they both scurried to their respective classes, quickly falling back into the world of school around them.

Paige ended up at the art library with her study group through dinner, and then lost track of the time completely while working in the photo lab. By the time she crept home, it was past one. She tiptoed into the kitchen, hoping for something leftover from whatever amazing dinner Piper had made that she'd missed, and instead found Phoebe fast asleep at the kitchen table, her glasses askew with her face resting against her open psychology textbook.

"Oh, baby," Paige sighed, feeling an intense surge of protectiveness welling up inside her at the sight of her sweet girl looking so perfectly innocent, and so terribly vulnerable. Reaching out a hand, Paige stroked Phoebe's forehead, orbing them both upstairs.

"Hmm," Phoebe sighed sleepily as Paige gently laid her down against her pillow, easing her reading glasses off and stroking her warm cheek. Phoebe smiled faintly, twitching her nose like a sleeping kitten. Paige felt the need to protect her lover crashing over again, even more strongly that before, at the thought of Cole coming after her yet again.

"I'm not gonna let him hurt you, baby girl…I promise," Paige whispered reverently. She took Phoebe's hand in both of hers, her diamond ring catching the moonlight that sliced through the curtains, and kissed it. Then she orbed out.


	4. Paige's Problem

The Incredibly True Adventure of 2 Witches in Love

Chapter 4

By JewWitch

Spoilers for _Charmed Centennial_

The entire Scooby gang was gathered around the large table in the back of the Magic Shop when Leo orbed in with Prue, a travel bag slung over her shoulder.

"Hey babe," Faith said happily, bouncing up from her seat with a zeal that belied the hours of research she'd passed without moving from that spot.

"Hi yourself," Prue purred, her bag slipping off her shoulder as Faith leapt into her arms and kissed her.

"I thought Phoebe was bringing you," Dawn said sullenly from the table, hunched over her homework. "Did something happen?"

"The same _something_ that always happens," Prue smirked, finally pulling away from Faith's enthusiastic greeting. "She and Paige can't keep their hands off-- mmph!" Prue squawked indignantly when Faith clamped a hand over her mouth, raising one eyebrow at her darkly.

"It's none of your business anyway, half-pint," Faith said to Dawn, picking up Prue's bag and tossing it easily over her shoulder. "Are you guys cool if super-witch an' me jam now?"

"Go on, have fun," Buffy said with a distracted wave of her hand. "If we turn up anything important, we'll call you."

"Word up, B," Faith grinned. With a few hurried goodbyes, the witch and the slayer were out the door and strolling down the well-lit streets of Sunnydale, hand in hand.

"So what's the monster of the week?" Prue asked casually, desperately grasping for something to say to distract herself from the tiny electric currents running up her neck every time Faith grazed her thumb over the back of her hand. "Anything I can help with?"

"No shop talk, P. We promised," Faith reminded her, her tone brokering no room for argument. "This isn't a business trip, is it?"

"I sure hope not," Prue purred, stopping in the middle of the street to wrap her arms around Faith's neck. "Cause I'd hate to have to charge you for what we're about to do…" Faith's laughter vibrated against Prue's lips as the two shared a long, deep kiss.

"What makes you think you'd be the one charging?" Faith said saucily, with a wink.

"C'mon, tough stuff, take me home already," Prue grinned, pulling Faith down the street with a goofy smile plastered to her face. "Hey," she added abruptly, "what's up with Dawn? Why's she so jumpy about who's orbing me here?" Faith looked at Prue as if she were an exceptionally slow child.

"You're kidding, right?" Prue blinked innocently at her girlfriend. "Jesus, P, how can you be such as ass-kicking superhero, and be so freakin' clueless at the same time?"

"So clue me in, Sherlock," Prue shrugged, resuming a leisurely pace down Main Street.

"Little Dawnie's got the hots for your sister, dummy," Faith snickered with a shake of her head.

"What? No way," Prue said dismissively.

"Seriously, babe, are you totally blind? The half-pint's as useless as a three-legged-dog around here every time Junior Witch shows up! Has been ever since she saved her from Glory…you know, the whole hero thing can be pretty sexy."

"You don't say," Prue drawled, backing Faith up against the wall with a predatory grin.

With a hurried goodbye to the scoobies, Leo rushed to orb back to the manor, turning full-circle around the attic as soon as he was solid again to assess whatever threat might be lurking.

"Paige?" He called tentatively. There was no response. "Paige," he said again, more firmly. "I know you're here; you summoned me." Suddenly, Leo's world was reduced to a single, screaming bolt of pain that lanced through his body, seemingly out of nowhere. He gasped, falling to his knees as a crackling, golden light washed through him, ending with an enormous explosion that sent his orbs flying in every direction. A moment later, Paige appeared out of thin air.

"Now that, my friend, is a vanquish!" Paige exclaimed triumphantly. Leo orbed back in with an exasperated expression.

"Paige," he whined, "I would appreciate it if you wouldn't practice your vanquishes on me. I know I'm already dead, but it still hurts!"

"I'm sorry, Leo, but I had to be sure it would work before I went out and tried it on Cole."

"Cole?" Leo repeated blankly. "Piper didn't mention anything--"

"No, I'm doing this solo," Paige said grimly, her jaw set in a hard line. "I'm not letting him mess up Phoebe's life any more than he already has. It ends now, Leo."

"Paige, you can't just run off half-cocked and take a demon like Cole down all by yourself," Leo said incredulously. "This is something for all of us to handle together."

"Yeah, well, while the committee's still out of session, Cole is coming after Phoebe at school, spying on us in our bedroom, and generally making her life a living hell. I'm not gonna sit around and wait for him to steal her soul for good, Leo. I'm doing this…with or without your support." Leo sighed. Having known Paige longer than any of them, he could easily see that she wasn't about to back down…it was her stubborn streak that allowed her to contend with life in the Halliwell manor on a day to day basis, without suffering any permanent psychological damage.

"Just be careful, okay?" he pleaded.

And Paige was careful…at least, up until the moment Cole exploded into a thousand tiny bits of goo. She was so sure it was over, then, that she'd won, and that Phoebe was finally free of her demon-ex, that she became careless, orbing into the middle of Cole's penthouse with a smirk of triumph plastered on her face.

"I did it!" she exclaimed happily, crossing her arms over her chest victoriously. Then she noticed the many tiny pieces of Cole beginning to vibrate, buzzing quietly, then louder, until they resembled a swarm of angry bees swirling into the air around her. "Uh-oh…" Paige murmured, her eyes widening as the swarm rushed at her. She orbed out just as the impact forced her backwards through the glass doors, a blow that would've crushed her spinal column had she been in her normal, human form. As a ball of orbs, she was simply knocked backwards with the force of a discharging cannon, hurtling through the air until she landed with a resounding splash in the freezing waters of the bay. She came up spluttering, too shell-shocked to realize how lucky she'd been to get out with her life. For a moment she just stared out at the city skyline, blinking the water out of her eyes. Then she sneezed. _Phoebe is gonna kill me_, she thought with a groan.

"And breathe…two, three, four…and relax…two, three, four…" Phoebe hummed quietly as Piper attempted to balance on the giant inflatable ball, eyes closed. A moment after she let the breath out, Piper slipped sideways off the ball, and fell to the hardwood floor with a loud thud.

"Oof," Piper groaned, arms wrapped around her swollen belly.

"Okay, back on the ball," Phoebe commanded her sister authoritatively.

"You get back on the ball, I quit!" Piper exclaimed indignantly, kicking the ball sullenly across the room.

"I know it's hard at first, Piper, but the birthing ball really can make things a lot easier…especially for home births," Eve, the midwife, said sweetly. Piper rolled her eyes, her trademark sardonic expression firmly in place.

"Hospital, people! How many times do I have to tell you crazy people? Hospital, I'm going to the hospital!"

"What about a water birth?" Phoebe asked the young midwife, completely ignoring her sister as if she hadn't even spoken. "Can we do that at home?"

"Sure," Eve shrugged, "We can rent a tub…hey, where's the rest of the family, anyway? I thought you all wanted to be here for the rest of our sessions. Where are Prue and Paige?"

"Oh, Prue's visiting her honey down in Sunnydale this weekend…and Paigey's just having a slow morning, I guess. She was in the shower when I got up," Phoebe shrugged.

"Speak of the devil," Piper said wryly as Paige came bouncing down the stairs.

"Hey, everybody, sorry I'm late…I had a little trouble getting going this morning."

"Late night?" Leo asked pointedly. Paige narrowed her eyes at him.

"As a matter of fact, yes," she said curtly.

"That's okay, we're just getting started," Eve said with a wave of her hand. Leaning over her bag, she came up with a cruel looking instrument that resembled nothing so much as a demonic dildo, with a built-in suction cup.

"What the hell is that?" Piper gasped in horror.

"Nipple enhancer," Eve replied with another innocent smile. "For breastfeeding," she added. Piper was utterly speechless, while Phoebe and Paige just laughed. Then Paige's laughter twisted abruptly into a sharp intake of breath as she bent forward with a loud sneeze, cupping her hands over her face a moment before she orbed out. Everyone froze, except for Eve, who was still hunched over her bag. Then Paige orbed back in, looking slightly abashed.

"Bless you," Phoebe said pointedly, glancing back at Eve, who was straightening up with the mild expression of someone who had _not_ just seen a person disappear into thin air.

"Thanks," Paige mumbled, sniffling meekly.

"A little ginger root and raspberry leaf will take care of that cold," Eve said with a wink. "Old gypsy remedy."

"I think we've got some of that in the kitchen. Why dontcha go see if we've got some of that in the kitchen?" Piper said hurriedly, with a very fake smile. Eve looked at Piper oddly for a moment, but recovered herself quickly.

"Sure," she shrugged. "I'll be right back." The moment the midwife was out of the room, Piper grabbed Paige firmly by her upper arm and dragged her out to the conservatory, with Phoebe and Leo hot on their heels.

"Hello," Piper hissed, "mixed company, Paige! What were you thinking coming down here?"

"What, you expect me to stay in bed all day just cause of a little cold? Anyway, we did save Eve's gypsy clan; I think she'd be fine with it."

"Yeah, well, it's one thing to know, and it's another thing to actually see it," Phoebe pointed out. Paige shrugged, conceding the point.

"I'm more interested in _why_ it happened," Leo said with a glare. "What caused it." Paige glared back at him, knowing she was caught now that Phoebe and Piper were both looking quizzically at her. "I think you should tell them," Leo persisted.

"Fine," she said tersely. She directed her next statement at her girlfriend's trusting brown eyes. "I tried to vanquish Cole last night," she admitted grumpily, her voice taking on the sullen edge of a petulant child.

"I tried to talk her out of it," Leo added, quick to avoid the Charmed Ones' wrath. Phoebe and Piper both made small, incredulous sounds of disapproval, but Paige cut them off. "Don't gang up on me and do the guilt thing-- I knew what I was doing, and it _almost_ worked…until I got all wet," she admitted bashfully.

"Paige, you could've been killed," Phoebe said softly with a shake of her head.

"So what else is new?" Paige shrugged. "I just wanted to give you a little peace."

"That's very sweet, baby, but I don't need Cole to be vanquished for that…I just need you, preferably in one piece."

"Besides, I thought we all agreed to take a break from vanquishes during my last trimester," Piper reminded her sternly.

"All the more reason I didn't want to bother you," Paige said with a shrug as Phoebe gently took her hand.

"Well you should have, cause this is not something you can do by yourself," Piper said flatly.

"Well obviously I disagreed," Paige fumed, wrenching her hand from Phoebe's and turning on her heels to stalk from the room.

By the time Phoebe, Piper and Leo arrived at P3 that night, they had gotten over their anger of the morning confrontation, though they were still concerned about it, Phoebe most of all. She had wanted to go after Paige, but Piper had encouraged her to give her girlfriend some space, reminding her that Paige was still adjusting to living full-time at the manor. Phoebe knew it was hard to balance her own needs with the needs of her sisters, her brother-in-law, and their lives as witches, but still, she always came back to an unflappable sense of knowing that in the end, it was all worth it. She just hoped that Paige felt the same.

"A toast," Piper said brightly, shaking Phoebe out of her meandering thoughts as she raised her fluted glass of sparking cider. "To _lieutenant_ Morris."

"Long overdue," Phoebe agreed.

"Wait," Darryl shook his head, "Shouldn't we wait for Paige?"

"Oh, I don't think she's gonna make it…she's got a really bad cold," Phoebe explained with a nervous smile.

"No kidding," Piper mumbled under her breath.

"Okay, uh…cheers!" Phoebe squeaked, raising her glass. Piper, Leo, Darryl and his wife Sheila all followed suit. Then Phoebe looked up towards the door, and choked on her cider. "Uh…I'll be right back," she said quickly, with a pointed glare at Piper.

"You will?" Piper cocked her head, then followed Phoebe's gaze to the doorway, where Paige was taking off her coat with a bright smile. "You will," Piper agreed firmly, making a shooing motion with her hands. "Leo and I will keep pouring." Phoebe scurried quickly over to the entrance to the club, where her girlfriend greeted her with a grin.

"Hi baby," Paige purred, with an appreciative glance at Phoebe's low-cut, strapless halter top. "You look amazing tonight."

"Paige!" Phoebe hissed. "Are you out of your mind? What are you doing here?"

"I'm…coming to Darryl's party?" Paige said hesitantly, taking a step back from Phoebe's agitated form with a confused look in her large brown eyes.

"The sneezing, Paigey, the sneezing," Phoebe reminded her in an undertone, looking around the crowded club nervously.

"Oh, that?" Paige laughed in relief, waving her hand dismissively. "Nah, Eve's little miracle cure worked great-- I haven't sneezed all day," she assured her girlfriend, glancing over Phoebe's shoulder to where their party was seated. "Is that Darryl's wife? She's cute!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa--" Phoebe stopped Paige's progress with both hands on her shoulders. "First, we need to talk."

"Pheebs, I was just saying that she and Darryl make a cute couple…you know I'd never give another girl the time of day, silly witch."

"No, it's not that," Phoebe said with a shake of her head, her eyes growing serious. "It's about this morning…you seemed really upset when you left."

"Oh, I was just having a girly mood, you know," Paige said dismissively, avoiding Phoebe's eyes.

"I think we both know it's a little bit more than that," Phoebe said softly, taking Paige's hand gently in her own and leaning down to catch her gaze, which was currently directed at the floor. "No lies, remember?"

"Okay," Paige sighed softly. "You really wanna know?"

"Of course I do, baby."

"It's just that…I've been feeling a little…_suppressed _lately. It's not you; you know you're the best thing that's ever happened to me, Phoebe…you do know that, right?"

"Of course," Phoebe nodded, giving Paige's hand a reassuring squeeze. "But…there's a but." Paige sighed and looked up from the floor.

"It's just, we never have any privacy at the manor," she said finally, eyes wide and earnest. "Don't you ever wish we could just be naked all day long? Don't you wanna screw on the kitchen table, and not have to worry about someone walking in on us? Aren't you sick of getting yelled at when we're in the shower for using all the hot water, or Prue using her powers to open the locks? I just think…" she said this last part with difficulty, as Phoebe was looking at her with a deer-caught-in-the-headlights expression. "I think that it's time…we started looking for our own place to live."

Phoebe's jaw hung open for several long moments, as she stared blankly back at Paige's anxious face. She was finally snapped out of her stupor when Paige's eyes fluttered, and her hands moved up to hover uncertainly over her mouth.

"Paige, don't. Don't you dare!" Phoebe exclaimed, knowing as she did so that ordering someone not to sneeze was completely and utterly pointless. Paige made a small, squeaky sound of distress, pinching her nose hard and squeezing her eyes shut. "Okay, uh…back room! Back room!" Phoebe squealed, jumping up from her seat and grabbing Paige's free hand, dragging her unceremoniously across the dance floor. Paige was trying with all her might to hold in the sneeze that was tickling the back of her nose, but it was a losing battle. _This is so stupid! _She thought furiously. Paige heard the door slamming behind Phoebe just as she doubled over, her long black hair spilling over her face.

"Ah-_choo!" _Paige could feel her body quickly dissolving into the air around her, then jerking back just as suddenly. It didn't normally hurt, but sometimes when it happened involuntarily like this, it made her feel a little sore, like getting hit in the chest. "Ugh," She groaned, her eyes blinking open, "Major sneeze…hey, who turned out the lights-- and the heat?" Paige pulled on her jacket as a shiver passed through her body, along with a strange, sinking feeling of foreboding. She turned automatically toward her girlfriend, but found only empty space.

"Phoebe?" Paige called tentatively. "Phoebe!" She yelled again, turning in a full circle in the small, dark room to confirm that she was completely alone. _Something is very wrong here_. She couldn't stop the thought from popping into her mind as she reached for the door, which fell off its hinges the moment she touched it. She jumped when it hit the floor, sending up a huge cloud of dust into the room around it, which looked very different than it had a few moments before.

"What the hell?" Paige gasped, looking around at the decrepit club, dark, dank and empty, covered in trash and cobwebs. "Phoebe!" She called again into the vast, empty room. "Piper…? Leo!" A small pile of rubbish moved then, startling Paige into a fighting stance, but it was only a man, short and very dirty, obviously homeless.

"This is _my_ crib!" He growled, with a predatory look at Paige.

"Your crib?" Paige repeated incredulously. "This is my sister-in-law's club!" The man snarled, pulling out a small switchblade and pointing it at Paige threateningly. Paige tried to orb the knife from his hand, but nothing happened. Then she tried to orb out. Again, nothing. "What the hell is wrong with my powers? Leo!" She shouted again, ducking as the man rushed her, and quickly disarming him with a karate move that Phoebe had shown her just last week. Finding himself flat on his back and without his blade, the dirty little man seemed to decide that squatting in P3 wasn't worth whatever Paige might do to him, and fled. As he retreated, a large swirl of blue orbs heralded Leo's arrival. He looked different somehow-- had he changed his clothes? And suddenly stopped shaving?

"It's about time!" Paige exclaimed, stalking up to him indignantly. "Dammit, where the hell have you been? Where's Phoebe?"

"P…Paige?" Leo gasped, staring wide-eyed at the girl in front of him.

"Of course it's me…Leo, what is the matter with you?" Paige asked, bewildered.

"But you-- you--" Leo shook his head.

"Dammit, Leo, what?" Paige exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air.

"You're dead," Leo said softly.


	5. Down the Rabbit Hole

Hello Peeps!

Well I have been feeling incredibly guilty about how long it's been since I updated...so, consider this your halloween candy, ok? happy witchy power day :)

--JW

The Incredibly True Adventure of 2 Witches in Love

Chapter 5

By JewWitch

Paige just stood there staring at Leo, mouth agape, neither of them speaking. Then she shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut, telling herself firmly that when she opened them, this strange hallucination would be over, and she'd be back in the middle of the noisy weekend crowd at P3, arguing with Phoebe. Tentatively, Paige opened her eyes. Leo was still standing there in the middle of the ruined club, staring back at her. He had dirt smudged across his stubbled chin.

"Leo, what's going on?" Paige demanded, feeling her heart rate picking up as she began to panic. "Where's Phoebe? I can't sense her anywhere!"

"This-- this is impossible," Leo said quietly with a shake of his head. "How are you standing here, Paige? I saw you die; I went to your funeral." Paige didn't seem to hear this; her attention was focused on only one question.

"Dammit, Leo!" Paige crossed the space that separated her from her whitelighter, grabbing his shirt with both hands. _"Where is Phoebe?"_

"At the manor," Leo said in surprise, finally convinced that the girl standing in front of him was real. "How do you even know her?"

"Thank god," Paige murmured, relaxing her grip on Leo's stained flannel shirt. "Take me there, right now."

"I can't," Leo said with a shake of his head. "I'm not allowed at the manor anymore."

"Huh?" Paige looked at him, more bewildered than ever. She closed her eyes, and pressed her hand to her forehead, taking a deep breath. "Okay, Paige, don't panic…there is a logical explanation for all of this." Opening her eyes, she looked up at Leo with cool determination. "Leo, what do mean I'm dead? When was the last time you saw me?"

"It was over a year ago," Leo explained quietly, his eyes softening with a look of remorse. "When everything started going wrong. I never did find out why the source was after you…it didn't make any sense. You weren't even an active whitelighter. After Shax killed you, he came for my other charges…" Leo looked away from Paige, clenching his jaw.

"Shax?" Paige repeated incredulously. "We vanquished his sorry ass!"

"No one's vanquished Shax," Leo insisted, shaking his head remorsefully. "Maybe if they had, things wouldn't have turned out this way…"

"Okay, enough." Paige held out her hand. "I get it; the whole world sucks. I have no powers, and Piper's club looks like it was redecorated by the angry mob interior design firm. What kind of bizarre parallel universe have I sneezed my way into?" Leo just stared at her blankly. "Forget it. I need the Charmed Ones to fix this. If you can't help me, then I'll just have to go get Phoebe, Prue and Piper myself." Paige turned on her heels to exit the club.

"You can't, Paige," Leo said quietly. There was an ache in his voice that gave Paige a chill in the pit of her stomach.

"Why not?" She challenged him furiously.

"Because, there are no Charmed Ones anymore…Prue and Piper are dead."

"No they're not, Leo," Paige said firmly. "Not in the real world." With that, she turned and walked out into the night.

Phoebe waited until after the loud cry of _surprise! _from the conservatory before she made her entrance on the staircase, in a stunning red dress, escorted as always by two upper-level demon bodyguards. The royal court of the underworld smiled up at her, and she smiled back mechanically, waving gracefully like some demonic parody of Jackie Onassis. _Now if only someone would put a bullet in Cole's head and put me out of my misery_, she thought fleetingly. The grip on her left hand tightened painfully, and she turned to find the seer next to her with a knowing look. _Tut tut_, that look seemed to say. But Phoebe felt no fear; she had nothing left to lose.

"Phoebe," Cole purred when he met her at the bottom of the staircase, "You look amazing." Phoebe laughed uncomfortably, turning her face to the side so that, when he leaned forward to kiss her, he got her cheek instead of her lips.

"Consider it your birthday present," she said flippantly, her eyes flashing dangerously for a moment before returning her gaze to the crowd, searching through the demons gathered for the one she'd take for her evening playmate. She walked past Cole without another word, marching purposefully toward a black-haired girl in a very tight miniskirt, and an even tighter silver halter top. The girl saw her coming, of course; every demon in the room had their eyes on the Queen of the Underworld.

"What's your name?" Phoebe purred, trailing her fingers down the girl's bare arm, her own dark eyes fixed on her prize.

"Ursula, my queen." The girl bowed her head respectfully, her long black hair falling in ringlets around her pale face.

"You don't have to do that, you know," Phoebe said quietly. "Bow down to me…I wish you wouldn't."

"Whatever you wish, my queen," Ursula replied silkily, a sultry grin forming on her face.Phoebe smiled back, but it was the same empty look she had given Cole on the staircase. The demon-girl didn't appear to notice this, as Phoebe took her hand and led her back up the stairs toward her bedroom.

Outside the manor, Paige was regretting her choice of hiding places behind the rosebushes. While they provided excellent cover, she was getting scratched all over her arms and legs, and each time she had to bite her lip to keep from making any noise. Still, from this vantage point she could easily see the comings and goings of the manor, recognizing many of the demons that she and the Halliwells had vanquished in the past year. _And the fun just keeps on coming_, she thought grimly, realizing the only way she could get into her own house was by pretending to be a demon. _Well_, she reflected, _at least I've still got my sexy party clothes on_…Plucking up her courage, Paige stood and stalked purposefully toward the back door, where a very large man with almost no neck stood guard. He glanced at her unconcernedly, obviously not perceiving her as a threat.

"Hi there, big fella," Paige cooed, wrapping one arm boldly around the back of his neck. "I'm here for the witch." This approximation of the truth seemed better than an outright lie, since Paige had no idea the conditions she would find inside; only that, one way or another, Phoebe was in there. The guard looked down at the dark-haired beauty grinning up at him, and took her statement at face value. She was, after all, exactly the type the queen favored, and she sent for new playthings quiet often. Privately, he thought, the source was obviously not getting the job done in the bedroom; but this was none of his concern. Raking his eyes once more over the stunning young girl before him, the demonic guard stepped aside and allowed her to enter. Paige winked one dark eye at him, her red lips curling into a confident, sultry grin as she strutted past him into what used to be the laundry room. Apparently, demons didn't need to do laundry-- at least, not as much as they needed a place to keep an open vortex to the Underworld. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Paige edged past the gaping maw in the floor, keeping the panic at bay by imagining what Piper would say if she saw her beloved washer and dryer sucked into Hades. By the time she entered the kitchen, she had regained her composure, and she stalked past the cooks and wait staff confidently. All she could think about was Phoebe, trapped in this nightmare world, kept alive as a prisoner of the Underworld for god only knows what reason-- Paige suspected that the Source wanted her power of premonition for himself. No matter what the reason, she was there, and Paige was completely focused on one goal: saving Phoebe.

She slipped from room to room as nonchalantly as possible, her eyes traveling discreetly across the amassed demons in search of her lover's warm brown eyes. Turning the corner into what used to be the conservatory, Paige quickly flattened herself against the wall. Cole was bowed over a pool table, smoking a cigar, while the seer stood behind him with her head bowed reverently.

"You may want to keep a closer eye on your queen in future," The seer simpered silkily, eyes still downturned. "I have heard her thoughts, and they are not for you."

"You needn't concern yourself with Phoebe," Cole said airily, lining up a shot. "She doesn't have the power to leave me…and once she becomes pregnant with my heir, her loyalties will change. Considerably." On the other side of the wall, Paige closed her eyes, willing herself not to do something stupid. It was hard, though, when all her instincts were boiling up inside her, screaming at her to attack the son of a bitch with her bare hands, and damn the consequences. Instead, she quietly crept from the hall, toward the staircase, thinking of all the different ways she could separate Cole's head from his body once she got her powers back. Finally, Paige found her way to Phoebe's room, grasping the knob with a feeling of intense relief. When the door swung open at last, Paige found herself confronted with a scene she hadn't even considered out of all the possible conditions she'd imagined finding Phoebe in. Her girlfriend wasn't chained, or caged, or branded with any demonic ownership tattoos. She wasn't under a sleep spell, or crying over the loss of her sisters. Instead, Paige found Phoebe half-naked on her bed, making out with a strange girl who Paige suddenly hated even more than Cole. All thoughts, plans, and common sense rushing out of her head at the sight of her lover's nimble fingers slipping up some other girl's skirt, Paige lost her wits completely.

"Phoebe!" She shrieked, grabbing her girlfriend by the back of her bra and pulling her off the demon girl, "what the hell are you _doing? _Have you lost your mind!" Phoebe looked up at Paige in pure shock, her eyes showing not a hint of recognition. The shock quickly shifted to outrage, and Phoebe wrenched herself away from the indignant girl in front of her.

"Ursula, you may go," she said quietly, not even glancing back at the flush-faced girl on the bed, who was quickly gathering up the remnants of her clothes, looking too terrified of the queen's wrath to be embarrassed that she was nearly naked. She shimmered out without bothering to dress. Phoebe turned away from Paige, going to her dresser and taking out a cigarette, which she lit with a well-practiced flick of her thumb. Paige resisted the impulse to grab the cigarette from Phoebe's hand as they stood there staring each other down.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't have my guards come in here and execute you right now," Phoebe said smoothly, still in nothing but her bra and slip.

"Because I came here to rescue you, you big jerk!" Paige fumed, finally succumbing to the desire to yank the foul-smelling cigarette from her girlfriend's hand, and grinding it under her foot. "I know you don't recognize me, Pheebs, but that's just because Cole cast some kind of spell. He ruined the whole world just to keep you-- don't you see, baby girl, this isn't you!" Phoebe's eyes narrowed suspiciously, and Paige became more desperate. "Look, I know everything there is to know about you, okay? I, I-- I know that you put peanut butter in your oatmeal, and you like to brush your teeth in the shower 'cause it doesn't matter that you get toothpaste all over your face, and, and, you have a scar here," she gestured to the faded scar on Phoebe's ribcage, "from the accident when you were fifteen, when Prue ran a red light--" Paige's rant was cut off suddenly by Phoebe's palm coming down hard across her face.

"Don't," Phoebe hissed, her whole body quivering now. "Don't talk about my sisters…it isn't safe." Paige looked puzzled, but a moment later the door burst open, and Darryl strode in, his jaw set in a hard line.

"Darryl!" Paige squealed, automatically jumping in front of Phoebe to cover her semi-naked body. "What are you doing in here?"

"What bodyguards do," Phoebe said from behind her, though Paige could hear confusion and regret warring with the queenly tone in her love's voice as Darryl's hands closed painfully over Paige's arms.

"_Hiya!" _Paige shrieked, flipping Darryl over her shoulder with another one of Phoebe's signature moves, and quickly escaping over his sprawled body. "Leo!" Paige hollered as she ran from the house.


	6. Conclusion

Hello faithful readers,

here we are again at the end of another adventure. Thank you all so much for coming along for the ride! I don't know exactly when another story will be born; Phoebe and Paige have snuck off on their honeymoon and are unavailable for consultation at the moment. I have had a tremendously good time creating this world, and I hope you have all had as good a time reading it! As a note to the conclusion, the wedding ceremony I have written for Paige and Phoebe is, like most modern wiccan handfastings, pieced together from a lot of different pagan traditions, but all of it is authentic. And, Paige's poem is written by e.e. cummings. Enjoy!

**The Incredibly True Adventure of 2 Witches in Love**

**Conclusion**

**By JewWitch**

Paige and Leo re-appeared in the broken-down remains of P3, both of them breathing hard.

"Cutting it a little close there!" Paige gasped, her skin still tingling with the aftershock of Darryl's gunshots on her heels.

"I was trying to figure out what happened, Paige," Leo explained anxiously. "Nothing made any sense, so I went to see the Elders...do you know anything about a prophecy--?"

"_The Children of Light?" _Paige asked, a small smirk quirking her lips despite the severity of her situation. "Been there, done that."

"So it's true," Leo muttered. "You and Phoebe...?"

"_Yes_, Leo, me and Phoebe," Paige sighed. "And after everything we've been through, and all the evil we've battled since we've been together, no way is Cole gonna be the one to take us down. I promised her, Leo...I promised I wasn't gonna let him hurt her anymore."

"In your reality, Cole may not be such a threat, Paige, but he's not just Balthazar here-- he's the source. It took the power of three to vanquish the last source...I don't know how you can do this on your own."

"I'm not gonna do it on my own," Paige said firmly, looking up at Leo with determination etched in her dark brown eyes. "I'll have Phoebe."

Back at the manor, the Queen of the Underworld was leaning over the bathroom mirror, staring blankly into her own eyes as if they belonged to a stranger. If she were honest with herself, she'd have to admit the truth in that; she didn't even know who she was anymore. Hadn't since her sisters had died, murdered by the Source's assassin, while she remained trapped in the Underworld, helpless to stop it. The irony of it all was that the only reason Phoebe had agreed to become Queen of the Underworld was because it had been the only way to reset time; the only way to save her sisters. But without her there, they had died anyway. She had literally sold her soul to the devil, and it was all for nothing. After that, she had just become dead inside. She had never even let herself cry for her sisters. Instead, she distracted herself with the intoxication of dark magic, and the privileges that went along with being first lady of the Underworld. She had distracted herself so well, that she had managed to forget herself completely…she hadn't had a premonition since the day of Prue and Piper's death. Then a strange girl with haunted eyes had showed up, and looked at Phoebe like she knew her. There was something in those eyes that disarmed the Queen of the Underworld completely, and it had nothing to do with the things she'd known, the details of Phoebe's life before; a demon could easily find those things out. But this girl wasn't a demon…Phoebe could just sense it. There was something about the way the girl had said her name; she called her Phoebe, not _my queen._ Phoebe hadn't even realized how much she'd missed the sound of her own name; the only one who ever said it now was Cole, and he wielded it like a brand of ownership. She closed her eyes, and splashed a handful of cold water across her face, trying to focus her consciousness for the first time in what felt like years. More than anything, Phoebe wanted to follow the strange tugging sensation in her stomach; she wanted to understand why those beautiful brown eyes felt so familiar.

"Phoebe." A knock on the bathroom door told her Cole was waiting in the hall. "May I speak to you for a moment, please?" With a sigh, Phoebe opened her eyes, gazing again at her own reflection before crossing the room to open the door.

"What?"

Cole looked down menacingly, as if he wanted to reprimand her for addressing him this way, but then thought better of it.

"I got a report from the guards that you've been consorting with good witches. We can't have that, now can we?" He said smoothly, brushing some fleck of invisible lint from his tie.

"Not _witches_, just one witch, if that's what she was-- and I wasn't _consorting_ with her, either." Phoebe looked up with a self-satisfied smirk, knowing that her many sexual escapades caused him intense anguish, and taking pleasure in it. "She just burst in here while I was…_consorting_ with someone else." In a flash, Phoebe was held by her hair in a rough, unforgiving grip, as Cole's hand came down hard across her jaw, wiping the smirk instantly from her face. Instead of detaching herself from the pain, the way she usually did, Phoebe forced herself to stay focused, stay present. Looking up at the demon who held her in his vicious grip, she spat a mouthful of blood in his face, and kneed him in the groin as hard as she could. Cole released her with a howl of agony.

"She can't have you, dammit," He roared, panting as he raised himself up off the floor. "You're mine!"

"I am not _yours_, you son of a bitch," Phoebe seethed, wiping the smear of blood from her cut lip. "I'm no one's property."

"You know you'll never make it out of here on your own," Cole said confidently, his cocky swagger returning now that all the cards had been thrown down.

"I know," Phoebe said calmly. Perturbed by her serenity, Cole grabbed her by one arm, and dragged her unceremoniously down the hall, throwing her into her room and locking the door behind her. For a few minutes, Phoebe just lay there on the floor, trembling. She hadn't allowed herself to feel anything for so long, that the stinging in her jaw and the blood dripping from the corner of her mouth threatened to overwhelm her. She felt the tears sliding down her face, and didn't try to stop them. Years of pain, regret, and aching loneliness poured over Phoebe's slight frame, as if the dam inside her had suddenly broken. _I'm alone_, she admitted to herself finally. _I'm lost, and I'm all alone_.

"Phoebe?"

The voice that materialized next to her instantly soothed the flood of tears. Warmth that she had never expected to feel again blossomed in the pit of her stomach, reaching out toward the soft hands tenderly caressing her face. "Baby, please open your eyes…please."

Slowly, hesitantly, Phoebe opened her eyes. The tears that clung to her lashes made everything momentarily hazy; the image that materialized before her was bathed in a thousand tiny points of light.

"Are you an angel?" Phoebe asked softly, reaching out to run her fingers over the smiling face in front of her.

"Not exactly," Paige grinned, gently wiping away Phoebe's tears. The glinting rays of twilight sliced through the open window, catching the gleam of silver on Paige's hand, and Phoebe pulled back, taking that hand in both of hers, studying it with a quiet frown of concentration. Paige remained silent, watching Phoebe's eyes hopefully.

"…I gave you this," Phoebe said quietly, tracing her finger over the smooth silver band.

"Yeah," Paige agreed, a brief shiver running through her body as Phoebe's fingers grazed over hers. Then, with a soft gasp, Phoebe's eyes fell shut, and Paige knew she was having a premonition, though she didn't know how unfamiliar the rush of images had become for the girl sitting in front of her. Finally, Phoebe's eyes blinked open.

"…Paige?" She said hesitantly.

"Yeah, baby," Paige smiled, her eyes bright with unshed tears. "I told you I came here to rescue you…but I need you to rescue me, first." Without conscious thought, they both leaned into each other, hearts thudding wildly as their lips met. For a moment, the entire world was whittled down to the soft space between their tongues, and the hot breath they shared. Then the low, deep wail of the Manor's demonic good-magic-alarm broke them apart, both of them staring wide-eyed at the brilliant white light pouring off each other's skin.

"What's happening?" Phoebe asked in bewilderment.

"We're fulfilling our prophecy…again," Paige said confidently, holding her hand out flat in front of her, palm up. "Vanquishing potion!" she called, and the potion she and Leo had prepared at P3 orbed into her hand, just as Phoebe's door slammed open to reveal a fire-eyed Cole.

"You!" he snarled, seeing Paige. He leaped at her, a fireball revolving in his hand.

"No!" Phoebe shrieked, shoving Paige protectively behind her. They both orbed out instinctually, reappearing after the fireball had blown a hole in Phoebe's bed. Cole looked back and forth between them in bewilderment.

"How did you do that?" He gasped, shocked momentarily out of his attack. While he was staring, Paige pressed the vial of potion into Phoebe's hand behind her back.

"Destiny," Phoebe said grimly, hurling the potion at Cole's feet. Then she turned and threw herself into Paige's protective arms as the potion exploded, engulfing Cole and most of the room in a ring of fire as he bellowed, burned alive from the inside out. Before Paige knew what was happening, the room began to spin around her, until she was so dizzy she had to close her eyes. A strange, orb-like sensation stole over her. Tentatively, Paige opened her eyes again, to find herself in the familiar, and decidedly non-demonic front hall of the manor.

"Please, oh, please let me be home," Paige gasped, still panting from her confrontation with Cole as she searched wildly around the entranceway for some sign that this was, in fact, the same reality she'd left the day before.

"Oh, there you are," Piper said around a mouthful of ice cream as she padded in from the kitchen in her nightgown, looking every bit the stereotypical pregnant woman with an entire pint of Ben & Jerry's in her hand. "Where'd you just orb in from?"

"Piper, you're alive!" Paige cried happily.

"Aren't I usually?" Piper asked, quirking her eyebrows. In answer, Paige threw herself into Piper's arms, laughing and crying at the same time. "Whoa," Piper giggled, "what happened to you?" Pulling back to examine her surrogate little sister more closely, Piper frowned. "What did happen to you? What happened to your clothes?"

"Time must have continued moving forward in this reality, too," Paige mused out loud, looking around the room with a huge smile as it sank in that she had really made it home.

"Huh?" Piper looked at her blankly.

"I'm back!" Paige exclaimed, sighing happily. Then a faint flutter in the pit of her stomach made Paige turn towards the door, a moment before it opened to reveal the most beautiful sight she had ever seen.

"Phoebe!" She shrieked, wrapping her girlfriend up in her arms and twirling her around, then kissing her thoroughly, ending with a soft bite to her lower lip.

"Uhhhh…hi," Phoebe drawled, a dopey grin plastered to her face when Paige finally pulled away. "What was that for?"

"I'm just so glad to be home, that's all," Paige grinned back.

"You wanted to move out," Phoebe reminded her with a confused smirk.

"I did?" Paige echoed blankly. Phoebe raised her eyebrows. "God, no. Never!" Paige exclaimed emphatically. "I mean, maybe when we have kids…and Leo and Piper have kids…and maybe Prue and Faith even have kids…well, we're bound to run out of bedrooms eventually…but we can always build an extension, right? I mean, we're not gonna let something as little as home remodeling break this family up, are we?" Phoebe and Piper grinned at each other bemusedly.

"Ooooh-kay…" Piper said wryly, shaking her head. "Pheebs, what are you doing home so early? I thought you had study group tonight."

"I did," Phoebe said slowly, "but I left early. I think I might have a little…" With a quick breath, Phoebe turned away from Paige, sneezed, and disappeared.

"I see," Piper snickered as her sister reappeared.

"Uhhh…" Phoebe mumbled, opening one eye hesitantly. "Did I orb?"

"Uh-huh," Piper giggled.

"Shit," Phoebe groaned. Then she looked up and noticed Paige smiling goofily at her. "What are you smiling at, huh missy? You're the one who gave me this cold. Now I have to sit here all by myself in the house all weekend, with my stupid orbs."

"Aww, honey, I'm sorry," Paige grinned, stroking her girlfriend's soft brown hair placatingly. "I just never realized how damn cute that was till I saw you do it." Phoebe rolled her eyes. "Sorry I gave you my cold," she added gently, tucking a stray curl behind Phoebe's ear.

"Whatever," Phoebe shrugged sullenly.

"But…who said you'd be _alone_ in the house all weekend?" Paige whispered, her hands grazing up lightly under Phoebe's sweater. The pout instantly dissolved from Phoebe's face, replaced by a shy grin.

"That's really sweet, baby, but I don't think…" Paige felt a delightfully warm, tingling sensation dancing over her skin as Phoebe sneezed again, orbing out of her arms.

"Bless you," Paige giggled.

"Uhhh…don't think I'm gonna be much fun to be around," Phoebe finished breathlessly. "Jeez, that feels weird."

"My sweet baby girl," Paige sighed, stroking her girlfriend's cheek adoringly. "Don't you know I'd rather be right here with you, taking care of your sniffles, than be anywhere else in the world without you?" Phoebe looked up speculatively into the warm brown eyes above her, that made her feel seen in a way no one else ever could.

"Yeah," she said happily. "I do."

**_Epilogue_**

"I'm not sure this was such a good idea, Tara," Paige said for the millionth time. "What if a demon attacks while we're all split up like this? Phoebe and I are strongest when we're together."

"And that's why we're on a magically cloaked island that's been triple-blessed by the Elders, the Charmed Ones, _and_ the Children of Light," Tara reminded the nervous girl yet again. "Nothing's going to attack us. Now please relax, for God's sake. It's your wedding day."

"I know what day it is," Paige grumbled sulkily. "Can't I just orb over to Phoebe for a little, eensy- weensy minute?" She gave her friend her most beseeching, wide-eyed pout.

"No, Paige, you can't." Tara snickered. "My god, you two are even more codependent than Willow and me, aren't you?"

"We are not codependent!" Paige exclaimed indignantly. "Why is it so weird that I want to see my fiancée on my wedding day!"

"It's not weird at all, Paigey. And you will see her, as soon as the ceremony starts. Which will be a lot sooner if you will just stop tweaking, and get dressed already!" Paige stuck out her tongue as Tara's cell phone rang. Giving her friend a playful shove toward her dress, Tara glanced at the caller ID, knowing who it was before she even looked.

"_Hey T-dog_," Faith's voice echoed oddly out of the phone. With all the magic in the air, they were having a bit of trouble with things as mundane as cell phone reception. _"Everything still on schedule?"_

"Just barely," Tara grinned. "Paige is a little out of sorts."

_"It's no better over here_," Faith sniggered. _"I swear, these two have some kind of homing beacon!"_

"But Phoebe's almost ready?" Tara pressed. Through the window, she could see Willow already drawing the sacred circle, and she knew her hyper-organized girlfriend would freak if the schedule were to be upset.

"_Keep your pants on, T, it's all good_," Faith said smoothly. _"Junior Witch has her big sisters keeping her on track."_

"What are you doing?" Tara asked suspiciously.

_"I'm, um, just chillin' with Wyatt_," Faith said in a would-be-casual voice.

"You?" Tara laughed incredulously. "Piper gave her two-month-old baby to _you?"_

"_What, you don't think I can take care of a baby?" _Faith said defensively.

"No, I just--"

"_Cause Piper and Prue seem to think I can_."

"Oh…I get it," Tara grinned. "You're trying to show Prue you're serious about her, aren't you?"

_"Do me a favor, T-dog-- don't analyze me, ok? I already have a shrink."_

"Okay," Tara giggled. "Just make sure Phoebe's ready when the bell rings in…" Tara checked her watch. "Eighteen minutes."

"_Five by five_."

By the time the bell chimed, all the guests had assembled inside the large outer circle, enjoying the flute and lyre music provided by the island's satyr and wood nymphs. In the center of the circle a simple altar stood, strewn with blue violets and a thick coil of scarlet rope, along with five white candles and a smooth Willow branch bearing two shining rings. Hovering above all this was Phoebe's grandmother, smiling beneficently down upon the crowd. At the chiming of the bell, however, the hum of chatter died away, and all eyes turned toward the commanding visage of the ghostly high priestess.

"May the place of this rite be consecrated," Grams intoned impressively, "For we gather here in a ritual of love with two who would be wedded. Phoebe and Paige, please come forward and stand here before us." The gaze of the crowd shifted to the edges of the circle then, where two openings had been left. On one side, Prue and Piper led Phoebe to the entrance of the inner circle, guiding her lightly by the upper arm as she seemed to be in a complete daze. On the other side, Willow and Tara led a similarly star-struck Paige. A soft murmur of awe filtered up from the crowd at the beautiful sight the two made, though neither one of them even seemed to notice; they had their eyes glued on each other. Their dresses were both an elegant, strapless A-line, similar but not identical; while Paige's was satin, and laced up the back with a rich, blood-red trim, Phoebe's was a sheer organza, embroidered with a delicate Japanese beadwork of pale green, and with a sage sash at the waist. Somehow they managed to meet in front of the altar without either of them falling on their faces, or taking their eyes off each other. Grams beamed at the pair of them.

"As friends and family of Phoebe and Paige, all are welcome here today. Come and join in the celebration of this, the most mystical of unions. For that which is truly eternal is a bonding of life and love; it is more than flesh to flesh. It is mind to mind, soul to soul, in this world and the next." The two young lovers looked away from each other then to smirk up at the ghostly priestess floating over them, knowing that her statement was more meaningful in present company than most. Their eyes quickly found each other's again as Grams leaned down to invoke the elements, lighting each of the four candles as she did so.

"Be with us here, O beings of the Air  
With your clever fingers  
Tie closely the bonds between these two.

Be with us here, O beings of Fire  
Give their love and passion  
your own all-consuming ardor.

Be with us here, O beings of Water  
Give them the deepest of love  
and the richness of the body, of the soul and of the spirit.

Be with us here, O beings of Earth  
Let your strength and constancy  
Be theirs for so long as they desire  
to remain together;

Blessed be."

When she had finished, Grams handed each of them one of the candles. "Your separate lives are symbolized by the separate candles you now bear. As you join their flames as one, know that at that moment you are willingly joining your lives forever. Is this what you wish?"

"I do," Phoebe and Paige said as one, smiling goofily at each other.

"So mote it be," Grams said with a bow of her head, and the two of them reached out their hands and lit the large candle in the center of the altar.

"Likewise, this cord is a symbol of the life you have chosen together," Grams continued, picking up the coil of scarlet rope. "It has been woven, by your own hands, to symbolize the intertwining of your lives. Up until this moment you have been separate in word, thought and action. As the cord binds you together, your lives become entwined." A small sigh escaped Phoebe's lips as Paige gripped her hand, allowing Grams to bind them together.

"I bind you once for the maiden," she intoned, wrapping the cord once around their joined hands, "twice for the mother, and thrice for the crone." Next, Grams picked up the small Willow branch holding their two rings, and gave it to them to hold in their bound hands. With her free hand, Paige pulled Phoebe's ring off the branch, swallowing against the sudden lump in her throat.

"Phoebe, I…wanted to write something beautiful and perfect to say to you, something that would tell you everything I feel for you, and how incredibly cherished you are…" Paige blushed at the sudden realization that all her friends, family, and much of the magical world was standing there, watching her proclaim her love for Phoebe. She cleared her throat. "And, um…I found this poem that, um, pretty much says it all…I just wish I'd written it for you." Phoebe grinned and squeezed Paige's hand, as Paige took a deep breath.

"I carry your heart with me…I carry it in my heart. I am never without it; anywhere I go you go, my dear, and whatever is done by only me is your doing, my darling. I fear no fate, for you are my fate, my sweet-- I want no world, for beautiful you are my world, my true…and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant, and whatever a sun will always sing is you. Here is the deepest secret nobody knows…here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud and the sky of the sky of a tree called life, which grows higher than soul can hope or mind can hide…and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart. I carry your heart…I carry it in my heart." By the time Paige was finished, Phoebe's eyes were bright with tears, and both of them were fighting the all-consuming desire to fall into each other's arms right then, and forget the rest of the ceremony. Instead, Paige reached out and slipped the ring onto Phoebe's finger. With a beautiful, teary smile, Phoebe pulled Paige's ring from the branch, and took a deep breath.

"Paige," she sighed quietly, "my love, my perfect other half, the shining part of my spirit, holy and human and revered in every way. My love will be your treasure in the times when other riches fail. My love will be your medicine in sickness as my hand tends your needs. My love will be your mirth when your heart is touched by sadness. My love will be your shining star through the darkest of nights. My love will be your banquet when life's table seems empty. All this do I promise you…with all the love that is in my heart." As she spoke, Phoebe slipped Paige's ring onto her finger, and both of them felt the same tingling sensation they got when they orbed against each other's skin. Before either of them had a chance to wonder about it, Grams placed her hand firmly over their joined ones.

"This bond I draw between you: that though you are parted in mind or in body, there will be a call in the core of you, one to the other, that nothing and no one else will answer to. By the secrets of earth and water is this bond woven -- unbreakable, irrevocable; by the laws that created fire and wind this call is set in you, in life and beyond life. Above you are the stars, below you are the stones; as time passes, remember...like stones should your love be firm. Like a star should your love be constant. Let the powers of the mind and of the intellect guide you in your marriage; let the strength of your wills bind you together, let the power of love and desire make you happy, and the strength of your dedication make you inseparable. Be close, but not too close. Have patience with one another, for storms will come, but they pass quickly. Be free in giving affection and warmth. Have no fear and let not the ways of the unenlightened make you uneasy; for the divine is with you always. Ever love, help and respect each other and then know truly that you are one in the eyes of all the powers of the Universe. May these blessings be with you now and always. Blessed Be!" Without waiting to be told, Phoebe and Paige jumped into each other's eager arms and shared an exquisitely passionate kiss, amid an eruption of cheers from the crowd. They were still kissing when the music began to play, the party erupting around them in an explosion of magic.

"They look like angels," Dawn said wistfully, watching them from across the clearing.

"Yeah," Faith agreed, a wide, unguarded grin plastered to her face. "That's what love will do for ya, half-pint."

"Do you think they're always gonna be this happy?" Dawn asked, blinking wide-eyed at her surrogate older sister.

"Nobody's always happy, Dawn…it wouldn't mean anything if you were, you know?" Dawn nodded pensively. "But I don't think there's anything to worry about with these two…they're practically a force of nature."

"So are you gonna marry Prue?" Dawn asked innocently. Faith choked on her champagne.

"Jesus, are you okay?" Prue asked as she came up behind her girlfriend, patting her on the back. "You look like you just swallowed something sharp."

"Five by five," Faith wheezed, glaring at Dawn. Her eyes were drawn quickly back to the inquisitive blue gaze of her girlfriend, standing in front of her with a curious smirk. "You look hot in that bridesmaid's dress, P."

"You're not so bad yourself," Prue purred, pulling Faith in by her waist. "C'mon, tough stuff, let's dance." The two wove their way onto the dance floor, where Phoebe and Paige were now surrounded by a crowd of moving bodies, a fine mist of faerie dust falling over them all from the small flock of faeries fluttering overhead. The soft lilt of lyre and flute music continued to play, the warm glow of magic lighting up the twilight with an unearthly glow.

"This is the most perfect day of my entire life," Phoebe murmured, her hand grazing lightly through Paige's hair. "I don't ever want it to end."

"I guess we better cancel our hotel reservations in Florence, then," Paige said innocently. Phoebe giggled and swatted her arm.

"I can't believe we really did it," Phoebe sighed, laying her head down on Paige's shoulder and holding her hand out in front of her to stare at her wedding ring.

"Yeah," Paige agreed, "I feel like I'm in a fairy tale." She twitched her nose as a bit of iridescent faerie dust fell on her. They look at each other, and burst into giggles.

"How do you always make me feel so incredible, Paigey?" Phoebe whispered, holding her beloved's face gently between her hands.

"Magic," Paige breathed. They shared another long, sweet kiss. "C'mon, baby, let's dance."

**THE END**


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